What We Choose To Forget
by Dawn of Daylight
Summary: While working in the tea shop Zuko runs into an old friend. Only one problem, he doesn't remember anything about her.Will spending time with her help him remember their past tegether?


Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender. If I did I would not be writing a disclaimer would I.

-----------------------------------------------Zuko------------------------------------------------------

She walked in and I saw her. I remembered her but then I didn't. Who was she? I knew her from a time long ago. Back when I could still call the Fire Nation home.

She ordered a cup of tea, which she drank quickly, and a sandwich to go. She was leaving, but she couldn't go yet. I still couldn't remember her name. With all my thinking I did not notice where I was going and I bumped into her.

"Oh I'm sorry I-"she stopped. She looked at me and I think she remembered me too. I don't know if she remembered as little as me or if she knew what I didn't.

She walked toward the door and opened it. She cocked her head to one side. She was telling me to follow her. I didn't know what to do. Should I go with this girl I thought I knew?

'No' I thought. I mouthed 'Not today.' She just smiled and left. I was in a daze the rest of the time I was working the little restaurant. If she remembered me why couldn't I remember her?

"That was a beautiful girl you just turned down." My uncle poured us some tea.

"Hum." I had barley heard him, but I did. I hadn't even thought about it but she was very pretty. She didn't look like she was from the fire nation though or the earth kingdom or any water tribes. No she looked different. She was dressed for the earth kingdom with her dark green tank top with brown criss cross tie in the front and a lighter green skirt that went past her knees but did not quite reach her ankles and a slit had been cut on both sides so you could see her brown boots almost reached her knees. She looked about sixteen just like me and was about 55. The reason she looked different was her hair and eyes. She had fair skin like those of the fire nation but her hair was blond. She wore it half up half down and it was slightly wavy and her bangs were off to one side so she could tuck them behind her ear. Her eyes were a curelion blue and being sixteen she was very well developed. Stop it Zuko! I mentally slapped myself. You shouldn't think about her like that.

"Hello earth to prince Zuko." My uncle waved his hand it front of my face. "Please don't tell me your day dreaming about Malissa."

"Malissa?" I questioned. Did he remember her too?

"Yes Malissa, that's her name. I really don't see how you didn't recognize her. You two used to be so close."

"So she is from the fire nation." I knew it.

"She used to live there yes." He took a sip of his tea.

"Then what is she doing here?" I asked.

"That is something you need to ask her yourself."

"I don't get it if we used to be so close how come I can't remember her. Even now that I know her name I still can't put her name to a memory." I am very confused right now.

"Well I'll give you a quote from the book of Malissa. She was very smart for an eight year old. You know when you wake up and you can't remember what you dreamt about?"

"Yeah." I didn't see where he was going with this.

"Malissa used to say 'Sometimes we choose to forget what we don't understand."

"What would I not understand that I would forget her entirely?"

"Why you lost her in the first place."

--------------------------------------------Malissa--------------------------------------------------

I was about to leave the small restaurant when someone bumped into me.

"Oh I'm sorry I-"I looked at the boy how I had bumped into. I couldn't believe my eyes. Zuko was here, and working in a restaurant no less. I knew he was on the run from the fire nation so I could say anything here, but I needed to talk to him. I headed toward the door and motioned for him to follow me. He stood there thinking. Figures, I thought to myself. That is just like Zuko. Either he is thinking too much or not thinking at all. He mouthed to me 'Not today'. I should have known he would be suspicious. I just smiled and left.

I don't know why I was so eager to talk to him. I mean he stopped talking to me for a reason. I don't know why I thought that since we were both outcast now thing would be different.

I always thought it was funny that none of the other kids would talk to me because I was 'special' yet the one that should hate me the most was my best friend. Although, Azula never let an opportunity pass to show me how worthless I was. But what do I care she was a bitch.

"Caroline, Rei I'm back." I called though the little flower shop. I don't live with my parents. I came to Ba Sing Se alone and in return for a little extra help in their flower shop Caroline and Rei let me stay the nights here. After awhile they started to consider me a part of the family but I still like to be a little more independent than necessary.

"Welcome back darling." Caroline came out from the back room. She calls everybody darling. "How were your sales today?"

"OK, nothing big today." When I'm not in the flower shop I go out and sell my painting in the town square. I do a lot of portraits too.

"What I want to know is why a sixteen year old girl never seems to be interested in any boys. You're always in town square. You must see hundreds of young men everyday."

"Are you trying to get rid of me Caroline?" I joked. She does this about four times a week.

"No, I'm just saying. You don't want to be single all your life do you?" She leaned on the counter.

"Caroline I'm only sixteen and you gave me this speech two days ago." I walked out the door still laughing. I walked up the hill near the shop. If you sat on the edge of the cliff at the top you could see the entire city. I loved to go up there and play my flute and that's what I did every night.

-----------------------------------------Zuko---------------------------------------------------------

It had been a week since I saw her. A week since I talked about her with Uncle. I just can't stop thinking about her. I didn't even talk to her and yet I can't get her out of my head. Why? Was she really that important to me? If she was then why did I forget her? Every time the door opens look hoping that it is her, but it never is. Is she ever going to come back? Is she going to be invading my thoughts like this forever? Why is my life always so complicated?

The door just opened. I don't even want to look. I know it's not her, but what if it is?

"Ironic isn't it that the one time you don't look at the door it's the person you've been waiting for." My uncle says from behind the counter. "Anything I can get for you Miss?" There she was standing at the counter. I have waited a week for her to come in now that she has I don't know what to do. "It is rude to stare you know. Please excuse my nephew. It is not everyday he sees an old friend." He says slyly.

"I know the feeling." She said leaning on the counter. "So what are you two doing here?"

"This isn't a good place to talk about that." I said in a serious tone.

"Guess what," she whispered, "there is no one here."

"Closing time was ten minutes ago Zuko. If you had not been daydreaming you would have known that."

"Since when does the almighty Prince Zuko daydream?" She said in a sarcastic way. I think she was mocking me. I just scowled at her. "Whoa he's temperamental too. Looks like you've had your hands full with this one Iroh."

"He is much more trouble than he's worth I'll tell you that." He chuckled.

"Thanks for the support Uncle." Obviously she remembered what I didn't if she even remembered Uncle. It's weird how she gives me this feeling. It's like making a new friend and feeling like you've known them forever, but this is meeting an old friend and not knowing anything about them. I don't know how it feels the same but it does.

"You know Malissa I know Zuko is embarrassed to say it so I will say it for him. He doesn't remember anything about you. Why we don't know."

"Uncle!" I can't believe he just told her that. She's probably going to be mad.

"Hn?" She looked shocked for a second, but then I couldn't believe it. She was laughing. "Well we'll just have to fix that wont we."

-------------------------------------Malissa---------------------------------------------------------

"Please excuse my nephew. It's not everyday he sees an old friend." Good old Iroh always making a joke out of everything.

"I know the feeling. So what are you doing here?"

"This isn't a good place to talk about that." Said Zuko. Oh please this boy has become way too serious. You think traveling around with his uncle he would at least have a little fun.

"Guess what, there is no one here." I couldn't help but laugh.

"Closing time was ten minutes ago Zuko. If you had not been daydreaming you would have known."

"Since when does the almighty Prince Zuko daydream?" I just had to do it. Opportunity was staring me in the face. He scowled at me. Was that the best he could do? "Whoa, temperamental too. Looks like you've had your hands full with this one Iroh."

"He is much more trouble than he's worth I'll tell you that." He chuckled.

"Thanks for the support Uncle." That's more like it. The last time I saw he was starting to take things a little more seriously. Maybe a little too seriously. A bit more like his father. I didn't like that. That's why I didn't really mind leaving, but I did mind after I saw what his father did to him. When I saw that I was on my way out. There was nothing I could do.

"You know Malissa I know Zuko is a little embarrassed to say it so I will say it for him. He doesn't remember anything about you. Why we don't know."

"Hn?" He doesn't remember me. That's awkward even for me. Maybe he just doesn't want to remember. Maybe he can't. Whatever the reason I'm going to find out. "Well we'll just have to fix that wont we."


End file.
